Not sure if ranitidine is working...

[lem31]

Sorry to keep asking questions about reflux but everyone is so helpful!

About 6 weeks ago ds was put onto ranitidine, domperidone etc. he has largely stopped fussing/screaming when eating and is sleeping better.
Although it is clearly helping, I'm not convinced he isn't still in pain and not sure if that is due to needing his dose amended or if the drugs are not good enough.
Signs he isn't quite right include HATING his car seat, now starting to cry in his pushchair (loved it Until a week ago), not settling on his back so having to sleep on his tummy and hating his swing. In addition he has only gained .3 kg in 4 weeks so has dropped a percentile. I think this is because he skips feeds quite often, sometimes refusing to eat between 7am and 4pm. Other days he will polish off every bottle. When he refuses food he tends to gripe and arch his back for a few seconds then refuse to eat and gets upset if I put the bottle near him. I think that if it hurts him it causes him to stop eating until he feels he ABSOLUTELY has to. But gp says at 3 months he is too little to understand and develop food aversions.

I guess I was hoping someone could let me know what their children were like when on ranitidine. Did all symptoms completely disappear or did they still have some, just an improvement? Did anyone get put on omeprazole and if so was that because the ranitidine didnt do anything at all?

Thanks in advance! X

Anyone...?

I probably can't help that much as my DS was quite different presentation of reflux (tending to feed constantly rather than refuse). But he did have ranitidine and i think we saw a minor improvement but not much. Weaning at 5 months helped and and I think he grew out of it around 6/7 months. Hope someone more helpful comes along soon!

The symptoms did disappear for DD but we needed the max dose. I believe there are 3 dosing levels. We needed the dose adjusted approximately once a month due to growth.

Ok, so dosing amendment may be the solution. Ace. Got docs on Monday to look at that so fingers crossed...

Thanks for the input. X

You need to keep getting the dosage changed. My son hadn't been done for a few months and we were really noticing the difference, then a week ago he had to go to A&E because he had an asthma attack (he's only 8 months old!) so I cheekily asked the doctor to redo his dosage and she changed him from 0.6 to 1.5! It's worked really well on him. It hadn't been done sooner because the paediatrician, GP and HV were pointing at each other.

If you've ever had reflux yourself, it's one of the worst pains ever. Eating hurts, not eating hurts, lying down is terrible, sitting can be too. I tend to sleep on my own now and some nights I'm virtually throwing myself around the bed trying to get comfortable. It really gives you insight into what they're feeling and can't express it when you get it.

It must just be horrible. Never knew kids got it until my boy was diagnosed. Hate seeing him in pain and wish I could make it better. Of course giving the meds sucks and he hates it and doesn't understand! Some days I think he must hate me, making him cry forcing meds down his throat then making him cry by trying to feed him and it hurting! Keep telling myself its just a phase...
Got docs tomorrow to look at dose but he has dropped from 25th percentile to 9th in weight, and only put on about half a pound in 4 weeks so not sure how much they can increase it. Fingers crossed it'll be upped and he feels better.

Random question too, but does anyone else's reflux baby sick up clear fluid a long time after they have fed? If so, what the hell is it?! Can't work out f its the stomach acid or formula after its settled in his tummy and not digested... Gross, I know!

Anyway, thanks or replies. X

It might be worth asking for infant Gaviscon as well. The combination of dompidone, omeprazole and Gaviscon worked for us. It took us a good few months to work out the right dosage for him.

I think it is acid, my baby gets it. I was going to say front sleeping but noticed you said you're doing it. my son stopped breathing earlier in the year (unrelated but they noticed the reflux because of it) and whilst in hospital I noticed his O2 levels dropped quite drastically on his back and he'd wake quickly. he also needed to be at about 45 degrees in bed but did best on someone.

take care with how he's lying as it can lead to torticollis as they get a side they prefer.

3 months is not too young to develop food aversions. My ds had bad reflux and colic (ff, probably cmpi) and I was advised to wean at 11 weeks by the gp as he wasn't gaining and was in such a lot of discomfort. Within a week of starting on baby rice, he was refusing the bottle and continued to refuse milk of any description until he was 3yo.

Wow, really interesting.
He is on gaviscon, although not sure it's making much of a difference for him tbh. He is on ranitidine rather than omeprazole and there has been an improvement, but I'm just not 100% convinced it all gone.

That waking on his back is so much like him too. Scary that it could be depriving him of oxygen! I've tilted his cot but if I tilt it more he ends up in a heap at he bottom as he is such a wriggler lol.

Have now found out that his weight and height Have dropped which isn't good. Apparently height shoukdnt change...Gotta keep an eye on it but not sure what they will do. I guess probably change his meds if they are not happy... He definitely isn't keen on food like he used to be and if it seems to hurt will stop eating and miss his next feed, sometimes 2. Interesting that you were told to wean early. Not heard if that before. Did he keep food down better then? Perhaps ill discuss that with gp if his weight doesn't improve.
Just want him to be healthy poor little man.

Thanks for sharing - really helps to hear your experiences. X

I am a big BLW advocate and we weaned him early, considering he was a 29 weeker and he was weaned at 4 months (1 month old!) that's saying a lot. It did help him though. I also stopped breastfeeding after 7 years none stop because of it, it's just one of those situations where you have to do what you need to do to get through.

There are special formulas you can get for refluxy babies, they're not cheap about £10 a tin but they make a massive difference.

My dd2 (7mo) also has bad reflux and has been on ranitidine since she was 7 weeks. She is bf but when she does have a bottle we use the aptamil colic/constipation formula, which has the milk protein partially hydrolysed so its easier to digest, and also is slightly thickened. She can't tolerate standard aptamil or any other formula, gets horrific wind and gripy tummy and vomits it all up. Gp is pretty sure she has cmpi also, but as she is mostly bf and has gained weight ok he didn't see a need to do anything other than manage symptoms with the ranitidine and wait for her to grow out of it. She couldn't sleep on her back at all (choking gagging etc) until she was 5 months old, she slept in the car seat or the swing seat.

In case anyone wants the conclusion to this, turns out gp is an idiot. Got him measured by hv - length is fine. Was also told he was on max meds but I questioned it with another gp and was told that he could treble his dose if needed! So we've put it up and hopefully will see a difference soon. Not loving revisiting the sleepless nights....